FlightRecord

Newark (EWR) to Houston (IAH): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on EWR–IAH. September 2025 flights landed on schedule 88% of the time, but July 2024 dropped to 52% — a gap of 36 points. Across the full period the route averages 77% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (86% vs 68%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
77%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
19 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.9%
Flights/day
10
last 12 months
Duration
3h 59m
scheduled
Distance
1,400 mi

Best airline from EWR to IAH

2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
United Airlinesmost reliable77%18 min1.6%6,941
Spirit Airlines74%25 min5.2%636

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for EWR to IAH flights50%75%100%June 2024: 68% on-time (330 flights)68Jun 2024July 2024: 52% on-time (343 flights)52August 2024: 75% on-time (340 flights)75September 2024: 85% on-time (332 flights)85Sep 2024October 2024: 87% on-time (341 flights)87November 2024: 82% on-time (326 flights)82December 2024: 78% on-time (341 flights)78Dec 2024January 2025: 77% on-time (342 flights)77February 2025: 77% on-time (289 flights)77March 2025: 82% on-time (308 flights)82Mar 2025April 2025: 81% on-time (272 flights)81May 2025: 62% on-time (255 flights)62June 2025: 66% on-time (260 flights)66Jun 2025July 2025: 67% on-time (342 flights)67August 2025: 77% on-time (338 flights)77September 2025: 88% on-time (327 flights)88Sep 2025October 2025: 73% on-time (336 flights)73November 2025: 81% on-time (323 flights)81December 2025: 78% on-time (333 flights)78Dec 2025January 2026: 82% on-time (321 flights)82February 2026: 82% on-time (282 flights)82March 2026: 80% on-time (310 flights)80Mar 2026April 2026: 85% on-time (297 flights)85May 2026: 81% on-time (289 flights)81

Best time to fly from EWR to IAH

Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (92% on-time); avoid 6 p.m. departures (55%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, EWR to IAH5 a.m.: 92% on-time (597 flights)56 a.m.: 90% on-time (418 flights)67 a.m.: 88% on-time (725 flights)78 a.m.: 87% on-time (389 flights)89 a.m.: 81% on-time (142 flights)910 a.m.: 76% on-time (590 flights)1011 a.m.: 82% on-time (163 flights)1112 p.m.: 83% on-time (666 flights)121 p.m.: 64% on-time (125 flights)132 p.m.: 75% on-time (710 flights)143 p.m.: 67% on-time (402 flights)154 p.m.: 68% on-time (401 flights)165 p.m.: 71% on-time (668 flights)176 p.m.: 55% on-time (147 flights)187 p.m.: 70% on-time (654 flights)198 p.m.: 71% on-time (514 flights)209 p.m.: 57% on-time (266 flights)21scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday79%17 min
Tuesdaybest81%14 min
Wednesday77%17 min
Thursday75%20 min
Friday76%19 min
Saturday75%20 min
Sunday76%22 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft39%
  • Airline operations28%
  • National airspace system29%
  • Weather4%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from EWR to IAH delayed?
23% of EWR–IAH flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-06 and 2026-05. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 19 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from EWR to IAH?
United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 77%, based on 6,941 flights. 2 airlines flew EWR–IAH frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from EWR to IAH?
Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (92% on-time), while departures around 6 p.m. have the worst (55%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from EWR to IAH?
The scheduled EWR–IAH flight time averages 3h 59m over 1,400 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 23% of the time.
How often are EWR to IAH flights cancelled?
1.9% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from EWR to IAH?
July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 52% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2025 at 88%. If your dates are flexible, that 36-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 7,577 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.